Meat-clamp.



A. J. MARTIN.

MEAT CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 14 19I6.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Q- J Mam-rm TYNTTE ALBERT J. MARTIN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

MEAT-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, rear.

Application filed October 14, 1916. Serial No. 125,669.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meat-Clamps, of which the following is a specification, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawin s.

lhis invention relates to an improved meat clamp, and has for its primary object to provide a very simply constructed device for quickly and securely clamping hams, bacon sides, and similar large pieces of meat while the same is being cut or sliced.

It is one of the more particular objects of the invention to provide a device for the above purpose embodying a fixed frameupon which a cutting board is adapted to be detachably arranged, clamping bars, a yieldable pivot fixed to the frame upon which the bars are mounted at one of their ends, and means for locking the bars at their other ends to the frame.

It is a further'general object of the invention to provide a meat clamp of the above character which is simple and durable in its construction, highly convenient and serviceable in practical use, and may be readily manufactured at relatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, showing a bacon side clamped upon the cutting board;

Fig. 2' is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a ham clamped upon the cutting board;

Fig. 3 is-an end elevation; and

Fig.4 is a detail elevation of the locking lever.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates an elongated U-shaped frame bar, the medial portion of which is securely fixed upon a meat block,'bench, or other sta tionary support by means of the screws or analogous fastening elements 6. fine of the vertically disposed end portions 7 of this frame bar is provided upon its outer face with a series of'spaced, inclined teeth 8.

9 designates the parallel, longitudinally curved, clamping bars. These bars are connected at one of their ends to a bolt 10 which is mounted in a sleeve or knuckle 11 formed upon the upper end of a vertically disposed spring plate 12. This plate, adjacent to its lower end, is rigidly fixed by means of the bolt 13, to the outer face of the other vertical end portion 14 of the U-shaped frame 5. The spring-plate 12 normally holds the bolt 10'and the ends of the levers 9 which are connected thereto, in spaced relation to the end 1 1 of the frame. Between the other ends of the curved clamping bars 9, a lever 15 is pivotally mounted upon a bolt 16 connecting said clamping bars. This pivoted end of the lever 15 is flattened and formed with a single tooth or projection 17.

. The cutting board, indicated at 18, which is preferably of poplar wood, is provided centrally in one of its longitudinal edges with a notch or recess 19. This recess is adapted to receive the end 14 of theframe 5, the other longitudinal edge of the cutting board fitting closely against the inner face of the vertical end portion 7 of said frame.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 1 of the drawing, wherein I have shown the device used for the purpose of securing a side of bacon upon the cutting board. In order to effectively secure such fiat pieces of meat, a wedge block 20 must be employed. After the bacon has been arranged upon the cutting board between the vertical ends 7 and 14 of the fixed frame bar, the wedge block 20 is disposed upon the bacon with its larger end engaged against the inner face of the vertical end 14 of the frame. The upper longitudinal face of this wedge block is preferably slightly curved or convexed so that the concave edges of the clamping bars 9 may closely contact therewith. These clamping bars are now swung over and downwardly upon the wedge block, the free ends of the bars extending upon opposite sides of the vertical end 7 of the frame. With the lever 15 disposed in a vertical po sition, its tooth 17 is engaged under one of the inclined teeth 18, and said lever forced outwardly and downwardly.- The clamping bars are thus forced down upon the block 20 which, in turn, exerts a clamping pressure upon the meat. When the lever 15 is in the angular position shown in Fig. 1, the tooth 17 thereon is engaged beneath the lower tooth 8 on the end 7 of the frame so that the bars 9 are held in their effective clamping positions. The spring plate 20 permits of a yielding longitudinal sliding movement of the clamping bars upon the convex face of the wedge block 20 and also acts to cause an additional clamping pressure of the bars upon said block so that the latter is held against shifting movement with respect to the clamping bars.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have illustrated the device when used for clamping a relatively thick piece of meat upon the cutting board, such as a ham. In such instances, the wedge block 20 is not used, but the bars 9 have direct clamping engagement upon the meat. The tooth 17 of the lever 15 is engaged with one of the upper teeth 8 on the vertical end 7 of the frame. It will thus be seen that, by means of my device, pieces of meat of various shapes and sizes may be securely clamped in place upon the cutting board and held against movement while the meat is being sliced or out.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my improved meat clamp will be clearly and fully understood. The device is very simple and durable in its construction and may'manifestly be manufactured at small cost. The meat may be very easily and quickly clamped in place or released and removed from the cutting board. The several parts of the clamp can also be easily cleaned and thus kept in a thoroughly sanitary condition.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the elements employed, it is to be understood that the device is susceptible of con-' siderable modification therein and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A meat clamp including a fixed frame, a laterally yieldable fulcrum secured to said frame, clamping bars pivotally mounted at one oftheir ends upon said fulcrum, and means carried by the free ends of the clamp ing bars to co-act with the frame and lock said bars in clamping engagement upon the meat. r

, 2. A meat clamp including a fixed frame bar having vertically disposed end portions,

a laterally yieldalole fulcrum fixed to one of the end portions of the frame bar, a clamping bar mounted at one of its ends upon said fulcrum, and means connected to the free end of said clamping bar to co-act with the other end of the frame bar and lock the clamping bar in engagement upon the meat.

3. A meat clamp including a frame, a spring plate fixed at one of its ends to the frame, a clamping bar pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the other end of said spring plate, and means carried by the bar to co-act with the frame and lock said bar in clamping engagement upon the meat.

4:. A meat clamp including a frame, aspring plate fixed at one of its ends to said frame, spaced clamping bars pivotally mounted at one of their ends upon the free end of said spring plate, and means mounted between the other ends of said bars for looking engagement with means on the frame, said latter means when operated, exerting a longitudinal pull upon the clamping bars and placing said spring plate under tension.

5. A meat clamp including a fixed frame bar having vertically disposed end portions, a clamping bar pivotally supported at one end upon one of the end portions of the frame, means connected to the other end of the clamping bar and adaptedto co-act with the other end of the frame and hold said bar in engagement upon the meat, and means yieldably acting to longitudinally shift the clamping bar and retain said holding means in effective engagement with the frame.

6. A meat clamp including a fixed frame bar having vertically disposed end portions, a lever pivotally supported upon one end of the frame, the other end of said frame being provided with spaced teeth, a lever pivotally.

connected to the clamping bar to enact with the teeth on said frame and hold the clamping bar in engagement upon the meat, and means to urge the clamping bar longitudinally in one direction and hold said lever in effective engagement with the teeth on the frame. p

7. A meat clamp including a fixed frame bar having vertically disposed end portions. a lever pivotally supported upon one end of the frame, the other end of said frame being provided with spaced teeth, a wedge block adapted to be inserted between the clamping lever and the meat, alever pivotally connected to the clamping bar to co-act with the teeth on said frame and hold theclamping bar in. engagement upon the meat, and means to urge the clamping bar longitudinally in lever in effective provided with spaced teeth, a wedge block adapted to be inserted between the clamping lever and the meat, a lever pivotally connected to the clamping barto eo-aet with the 5 teeth on said frame and hold the clamping bar in engagement upon the wedge block, and means to urge the clamping bar longitudinally in one direction and hold said lever in effective engagement with the teeth on the frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. ALBERT J. MARTIN. Witnesses:

F. A. Morris, STAFFORD H. NO'lI-IARLSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

